Stapling-machine.



E. T. GREENPIBLD.

STAPLING MACHINE. \APPLIOATION FILED JANKIG, 1913.

1,086,362, Patented Feb. 10, 1914 M-ILUINVENTOR 1 BY K a ATTORNEY EDWIN T. GBEENFIELD, OF KIAMESHA, NEW'YORlK.

STAPLING-MAGHINE.

Application filed January 1c, 1913. Serial at. 742,419.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented'Feb. 10, 1914..

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN T. GREENFIELD, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Kiamesha, county of Sullivan, and State of New York, have made a new and useful Invention in stapling-Machines, of which .the following is a specification.

My invention is directed particularly to an invention in stapling machlnes of that type in which use is made of a complete metal strip of staples which are cut and driven through the paper or other material to be bound, one at a time for each operation of the machine, as disclosed in a number of patents heretofore granted to me and particularly in U. S. Patent No. 936,996, granted October 12th, 1909, and it has for its objectsFirst-, to provide a machine which shall be simpler in construction than any of this type heretofore devised and easier and cheaper to construct and in which the number of parts used is minimized. Second, to provide means whereby the last staple may be held Within the machine and utilized without any danger of producing any clogging efiect before the next succeeding staple strip is forced forward into operative position.

The invention will be fully understoodrby referring to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 represents a full sizedmachine in side elevation with one of the side protectors or covering removed from the frame. Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional and plan view of the operative portion of the machine as it appears before the last staple of a strip is driven; and, Fig. 3 is a similar view of the machine illustrating the last staple of the strip as held in the grooved outlet or channel by my improvement and ready to be driven. Fig. l is a detail side elevational view illustrating the lower end of the plunger and its operative connections with the feeding mechanism as it stands ready to drive the last stapleof a strip. Fig. 5 is an.

enlarged end elevational view of the feeding and holding mechanism for holding the last staple so that it may be utilized.

With stapling machines of the type heretofore invented by me, as disclosed in a number of prior patents, very much annoyance has been caused by the fact that the last staple of the strip, when it is forced forward, frequently tilts so that the legs of the staple, when it falls, become clogged in the outlet or channel and choke the machine, thereby not only wasting the staple, but clogging the machine to such an extent that 1t was found difficult to extract it.

In the before-mentioned Patent No. 936,996, I materially improved the machine in this respect and the-present invention is particularly directed to an improvement which will be more simple and more effective in its operation with relation to the preventlon of clogging of the machine.

Referring now to the drawings in detail in all of which like letters of reference represent like or equivalent parts wherever used, 1 represents the base or lower portion of a two-part frame which sustains the parts of the device and 2 represents the pivoted portion thereof which is shown as pivoted at 3 on the right.

4, 4, represent the, front walls of the staple supporting guideway through which the plunger 5 is forced downward by the hand of the user against the retractile action of the spr ng 6, so as to cause the lug or extension 7 to actuate the feeding mechanism first backward and then forward; 13 being the staple strip supporting guide-way for sustaining the staples wheninserted' in'an opening on the right, the parts so far described being well known in the art and fully disclosed in my before-mentioned patent.

8 represents a feeding dog, pivoted at 9 and adapted to be actuated by the lug or'extension 7 operating upon the cam faces 10 and 11 as it is caused to descend and ascend by the hand actuated plunger 5 and spring 6, in the usual manner.

12 represents an extension upon the feeding dog 8 adapted to fit in a slot 16 in the curvilinear top extension 15 of the sliding feed bar 14 which is of the same conformation as the staple strip supporting guide-way 13 and has integral with it two lateral spring arms 17 provided at their front ends with yielding curvilinear feeding pawls 18 (see particularly Fig. 5) which move in longitudinal grooves in the sides of two yielding staple holding springs 19 riveted at their rear ends to the sides of the staple strip supporting guide-way l3 and provided at their outer or free ends with spring pressed staple holding shouldered faces 20 adapted to yieldingly frictionally hold the last staple 21 after the preceding staple has been cut off.

9 (Fig. 1) represents two strips of paper or other material adapted to be bound together placed in the device and ready for driving the last staple as it is held in position by the staple holding devices.

The operation is as follows: The staple strip is placed upon the staple strip supporting guide-way 13 from the rear or right hand end in the usual manner, as seen looking at Fig. 1, with the slidin feed bar 14 surrounding it so that the fee ing pawls 18 will actthereupon after said-strip 1s forced home with the first staple to be cut in frictional contact with the faces of the front walls 4, 4;. By successively forcing the plunger 5 downward by a blow of the hand and allowing the spring 6 to return it the user successively cuts off, drives and clenches the staples until the last staple but one is driven, illustrated by the numeral 21, Fig. 2, which is the position of this staple when the plunger is in its lower position. It will .be seen that under this condition the staple is held from moving by the lateral frictional action of the spring pressed faces 20. As the plunger rises under the influence of the spring 6, however, the extension 12 u on the feeding dog 8 forces the feed bar 14 orward and causes the spring arms 17 to impart a corresponding forward motion to the feeding pawls 18 at the free ends of said arms. This action releases the staple 21 from the frictional hold of the spring pressed faces 20 and forces it forward against the faces of the front walls 4, 4 and firmly holds it in that osition in the manner shown in Fig. 3. At t e same time; the front ends of the springs 19 are forced outward laterally into the path of the staple strip and prevent any backward or tilting motion of the lower ends of the staple, so that by no possibility can the stable tilt or turn, it being heldsecurely by the pawls 18 in position for drivin so that by no possibility can it either fall of its own weight or the legs thereof turn into such position to choke up the machine, as is the case with the earlier forms of stapling machines invented by me.

When the last staple is used, of course any successive operation will merely operate the device without driving a staple unless a new strip be inserted, a condition of aflairs which could not be depended upon in my earlier devices.

I have ascertained that with this device there is absolutely no danger of any choking or clogging at any time.

I also obtain improved results from the action of the feeding apparatus in that no springs or other devices are utilized for the return of the operative parts to normal position other than the main retractile spring noaasea 6, thus very much simplifying the device and cheapening the construction thereof.

1 do not limit myself to the special construction of parts disclosed in the invert tion, as obviously a number of the features thereof may be materially departed from and still come within the scope of my claims hereinafter made.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is- 1. In a stapling machine mechanism for feeding, cutting and driving staples from a connected strip thereof, a plunger, a spring holding said plunger in its upward or normal position, a staple strip supporting guideway, feeding mechanism positively controlled by the plunger and arranged to move in opposite directions, and consisting of laterally disposed spring arms provided at their front ends with feeding pawls arranged to act upon the legs of the individual staples and feed the same forward step by step; together with yielding means I for holding the last staple of the strip near the end of the staple strip supporting guideway, said means being constructed and arranged, when the staple is forced forward, to move into the path-way of. the legs of the staple so as to prevent it from turning or tilting on the backward movement of the feeding pawls, substantially as described.

2. A stapling machine constructed and arranged to sever and drive one staple at a time from a connected strip of staples; in combination with yielding means for frictionally holding the last staple of the strip before it is forced forward, said yielding means bein located in the pathway of both.

legs of sai staple and arranged, when the staple is forced forward, to revent the legs thereof from turning and c oking the machine, substantially as described.

3.A stapling machine having a cutting plunger arranged to sever and drive one staple at a time from a connected strip of staples; in combination with yielding means acting laterally upon the legs of the staple next to be used to frictionally hold the same before it is forced forward on the upward movement of the plunger; together with means for yieldingly holding the staple in position for driving and clenching on the next downward movement of the plunger, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

EDWIN T. GREENFIELD.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM '1. RUETE, M. F. KEATING. 

